Cody Rhodes is mourning the loss of one of the most beloved members of the Rhodes family. His beloved husky Pharaoh has passed away, with Rhodes sharing the news in an emotional tribute that looked back at everything from Pharaoh becoming a wrestling celebrity to the job Cody believes his dog ultimately found with his daughter Liberty.
Rhodes took to Instagram to announce Pharaoh’s passing, remembering the little habits that made him such a huge part of the family. Whether it was patrolling the pool, howling at the moon or making sure strangers knew whose backyard they had entered, Pharaoh apparently had plenty of personality.
“Huskies need a job. P howled at the moon. When we thought he would be afraid of the older dogs we had, but instead ran into the living room and belly flopd’ on them. He patrolled the pool. He always tore up a plant when a stranger came into the backyard to let them know – ‘I’m crazy’ – and don’t come closer.”
For Cody, though, Pharaoh was also the dog who seemed to know exactly when he was needed. Rhodes called him a “crisis dog,” remembering how Pharaoh stayed close whenever life became difficult and offered the kind of comfort that didn’t require anything to be said.
“He got the best training and retained most of it-I’d call him a crisis dog. Whenever there was a crisis, there he was. He put his nose under my arm in the truck…everytime. He was always with us, and when my world got turned upside down…he sat outside with me looking at the Texas stars until the sky started to shift and he pressed his head against me firmly in a way that let me know he understood. It goes without saying, he was a good boy. My best man.”
Pharaoh eventually became much more than Cody Rhodes’ dog to wrestling fans. Cody remembered bringing him to the first All In weekend in 2018 and walking into the Hyatt in Schaumburg during Starrcast, where Pharaoh quickly discovered that plenty of people already knew exactly who he was.
“We walked by the lobby bar and they had a special menu posted with ‘Pharaoh’s fries’; but the thing I remember most is how the fans kinda’ parted the sea for him as he walked through…they snapped selfies and chanted his name like he was making an entrance on tv or something ha.”
That strange little wrestling career only grew from there. Pharaoh participated in charity meet-and-greets for animal shelters, became a Chewy champion, got his own Mattel figure and even ended up across from The Rock during Cody’s WrestleMania 40 story.
“He was a Chewy’ champion. Mattel fig! Opponent of the Rock. I knew he was a true alpha when he would just let Yeti bite his face. He was part of the Rhodes’ wrestling family. ‘The Siberian Nightmare’ ha.”
For all of that, Cody believes Pharaoh’s most important role had nothing to do with wrestling. Rhodes said he had always believed huskies needed a job, but he wasn’t sure Pharaoh ever really found his. Then his daughter Liberty was born.
“I’ve gotten off track though…I said huskies needed a job, and I don’t think Pharaoh ever truly knew his. That is until Liberty was born.”
Looking through old photographs afterwards made Cody realize just how often Pharaoh was there. He was beside Liberty, watching her or simply finding his way into the background of the family’s earliest pictures with her.
“I scrolled back through my old pictures and there he is with her…almost every early photo…he’s just peeking into frame, or right beside her, or sternly looking through the lens. His job was to be with her. Maybe he wanted to protect her. As I said, he needed a job.”
Cody ended the tribute by remembering how a night watching Game of Thrones eventually led him to getting his own “little wolf pup.” He could have borrowed the obvious farewell from the show, but when it came time to say goodbye to Pharaoh, something much simpler meant more.
“When you watch GOT one night late on tv and decide you want a little wolf pup, it would be fitting to say ‘your watch has ended’, but I’d rather say the last thing I told you before you went to forever sleep, you did your job. We love you.”
Pharaoh went from Cody’s little wolf pup to a genuine part of the Rhodes wrestling family, but Cody’s tribute makes it clear that none of the wrestling appearances or fan attention were the job that mattered most. In the end, Cody believes Pharaoh found that job right beside Liberty, and he made sure his best man knew he had done it before saying goodbye.
What are your favorite memories of Pharaoh and his time as part of the Rhodes wrestling family? Share your memories and condolences for Cody Rhodes and his family in the comments below.
